When I first started exploring the potential of second-life EV batteries for community energy projects, I imagined quiet streets powered during peak hours by batteries that once propelled electric cars. That vision turned into a practical project idea: a street-level microgrid combining rooftop solar, second-life batteries from fleet EVs, and a community tariff that makes participation...
I often get asked by festival organisers and event operators how to provide rapid EV charging on-site without relying...
I get asked a lot whether a Nissan Leaf or a Tesla can reliably power a home for a week. It's a tempting idea: your car...
I recently helped a neighbour replace an ageing gas boiler with an air-source heat pump. Watching the first winter...
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how home batteries fit into real people’s lives — not just as shiny...
I’ve been watching the rise of community solar paired with shared batteries for several years now, and I’m...
I get asked a lot: "Will perovskite solar roofs survive UK weather, and what real performance can I expect?" It's a...
I recently helped a neighbour replace an ageing gas boiler with an air-source heat pump. Watching the first winter bills come through, and sitting through the commissioning day with the installer, I realised how many hidden costs and mistakes can turn what should be a smart, efficient upgrade into...
Read more... →
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how home batteries fit into real people’s lives — not just as shiny gadgets, but as practical tools during extreme events like consecutive winter blackouts. If you’re asking, "Can a Tesla Powerwall save me money during long, repeated winter outages?"...
Read more... →
I’ve been watching the rise of community solar paired with shared batteries for several years now, and I’m convinced this combination could be a powerful lever for local councils trying to cut their energy bills while delivering social and environmental benefits. But the question I get asked...
Read more... →
I get asked a lot: "Will perovskite solar roofs survive UK weather, and what real performance can I expect?" It's a fair question. After years covering renewables and talking to researchers, installers and early-adopter homeowners, I’ve formed a practical view that balances excitement with...
Read more... →
I started thinking about the real climate impact of everyday kitchen choices after we replaced our old gas hob with an induction one and upgraded our extraction system. Friends asked whether the swap was just about convenience and cleaner indoor air — or if it actually made a measurable dent in...
Read more... →
I often get asked to demystify the wiring around hybrid inverters, and one phrase keeps coming up in conversations with installers and homeowners: schémas de raccordement pour onduleur hybride. In this article I’ll walk you through practical wiring diagrams, applicable standards, and the common...
Read more... →
I’ve always loved road trips. There’s something about the open road, changing landscapes and the freedom to stop where you want. As an EV driver and someone who writes about energy, one question keeps coming up: can rapid EV charging hubs be powered entirely by local renewables, and what does...
Read more... →
I used to think cutting my heating bills meant one thing: installing a new heat pump. But after a few winters of testing smarter, cheaper approaches—smart blinds, a few behavioural shifts, and some low-cost draught-proofing—I’ve come to believe you can shave a meaningful chunk off your energy...
Read more... →
When I walk down the streets of my neighbourhood in the UK as winter approaches, I can’t help but think about the fragility of our power supply. Cold snaps, aging infrastructure, and rising demand put households at risk of blackouts — and every year the same question resurfaces: what is the...
Read more... →
I often get asked whether an electric vehicle can save the day during a blackout. Having lived through a few power outages and experimented with vehicle-to-home (V2H) setups, I can tell you that yes — your EV can power your home, but it’s far from plug-and-play for most people. In this piece...
Read more... →